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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0338.054 1998-2000 July 26,1999 TO: Curtis Tyler, Chair Committee on Human Services and Economic Development Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii Re: Comm 338 RECEIVED FROM: Judith KirkendALL, Ph.D~~Y~!~//~~~~ Rme..------------- - 9 Chair, Volunteers Committ 7~a.-_[Y,U-- East Hawaii Cultural Center Dp1e-----------'-~ '-'~4,p4 Home: 1310 Wailuku Drive ~ ~0~ Hilo, Hawaii 935-8286 The East Hawaii Cultural Center is a community focus for the promotion of art and cultural programs to a diverse audience. How is the success of such an organization measured? Certainly, by the number of persons served by such programs: those who view the art work in the galleries, attend the dance and musical per- formances, enjoy the dramatic presentations, hear the lectures, taste the food, view the cultural presentations and participate in the workshops. These people are the audiences and the parti- cipants, and their involvement with the Center is selective and initiated by personal interest. We have provided the Council with an historical record of the variety of programs which have been provided for such audiences and participants over the years of the EHCC's activity. There is another group which serves and is served by the Center and that is the very large one made up of Volunteers. Since its O ~ ~ ~ inception, the Center has never had more than two full-time paid M Z I ~ employees. That fact provides another measure of community in- LL ' d volvement for it illustrates the degree to which the Center's ~ Z ~ Volunteers have been essential to EHCC's operations and develop- ment. The Center operates all days of the week, day and nights and often houses two or three simultaneously presented programs. Volunteey,~~ g~~stf Cornet. R z docents cover the galleries during open hours, minimally six days a week. They plan, organize resources under the direction of the EHCC Board of Directors/Staff, and present special events; cast dramatic productions, build sets, make costumes, handle makeup, make and arrange scenery, schedule auditions and rehearsals, usher and clean up. Volunteers provide transportation, meals, entertainment and sometimes housing for visiting artists. Volunteers spend hours writing pro- posals for support grants and manage the programs those grants make possible. Volunteers organize hundreds of school children, provide summer art programs, work with teachers, and arrange for judging and awards for children's shows which occur annually at the Center. Volunteers work with ethnic and cultural groups to develop and pro- vide unique presentations focusing on the diversity of our communi- ty. Some volunteers have acted in that capacity for as long as the Center has existed; others have assisted in only one or two acti- vities or have signed up as a volunteer only recently. Each is inspired by a different motive. Many of our Gallery docents are seniors who give four or more hours to the Gallery each week. Two persons provide the floral exhibits which grace the Gallery each week and for each special occasion. A corps of Volunteers contribute to the installation of the exhibits, painting, repairing constructing, and devising lighting for each show. Only recently did a group of Volunteers transform the former gift shop into a new Gallery space. Professional carpentry skills, materials, hours of design and construction, painting and lighting gave us needed new exhibit space. 3 Other structural assistance has been provided by electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters, gardeners, cleaners and restorers. The Hilo Outdoor Circle dedicated years of planning, public gifts of plants, volunteer work hours, and professional design efforts in the construction of the Kalakaua Garden, designed as an exhibit area and program adjunct to the EHCC complex. The EHCC buildings and Garden lend stability to the fragile down- town area. It is not simply a building with office space which can be reassigned; it is a center of our community, a wellspring of riches which flow to the widest perimiters of our community. The point is clear: The EHCC could not exist were it not for its hundreds of Volunteers who support the mission of the institution through gifts of time, energy, skills and monetary support. Very often, an interested audience member or participant in a parti- cular program will become a Volunteer is a subsequent program. Volunteers are the backbone of a community organization. They are our strongest link to the community. They multiply our effective- ness and impact. In considering the value of an active, creative, and many-faceted cultural center in downtown Hilo, do not overlook the value of the East Hawaii Cultural Center which has been built by thousands of dedicated Volunteers.